Living the dream!

Back from the sea, back home to our little farm in Palmira, just above Boquete in the Chiriqui highlands in Panama, where I’m enjoying life on the farm! I’ve been finishing up details on the house, sitting in my spa reading, landscaping and gardening, and playing with the dogs. It’s a great life . . . living in Panama, growing coffee, and spending time on luxury cruise ships! As Kelli, our Party Planner on the ZUIDERDAM said to me one morning at breakfast, “Richard, we’re living the dream!”

People were asking, “So where do you go next?” Truth is, I have no idea! For now I’m going to catch up on things in Panama. We’ll see what, if anything, Holland America or some other cruise line wants me to do, and what, if anything I want to do, and see where it all goes. But for now, I’m enjoying being at home!

From my office I look out, over the coffee and flowers . . . and this morning’s sunrise was spectacular! From the first glimmers of light onward . . . today, like every day, is a great day full of adventures and opportunities!

Thanks for checking out and following my blog! Over 150,000 folks have visited and from all over the world . . . so thank you and have a fantastic day!

“You can put your foot in your mouth, but you can’t put your hand in the till.”

What the new President had to say . . .

THE PANAMA NEWS  translated the inaugural address of Panama’s new President, Riccardo Martinelli, and the speech contains some interesting stuff . . .

[Vice President] Juan Carlos Varela and I are two businessmen who have become involved in politics, to change the way of doing things. We are going to take hold of our experiences in the private sector and put them to work where they have never been seen: in the government.

We are going to debureaucratize the state. “Debureaucratize” is a word that’s a little difficult to say, but he who’s going to work with me in this government had better learn it.

In the world of business I walked the aisles, asked questions, opened drawers. I learned to face problems. As my great friend and political mentor Samuel Lewis Galindo noted, the government of Ricardo Martinelli will act with firmness and education, but without favors. I believe that time is gold and very short.

Neither Juan Carlos nor I accept this job to remain seated behind a desk. I am a simple, plain and direct man. If I fail somewhat in protocol, I beg your pardon. But we were not elected to add more pages to the protocol book.

This people gave us a clear mandate to bring change to this government, from top to bottom, and that is what we are going to do. The custom that the politicians put their personal interests above those of the people is over. The game of having a fat government and a thin people has come to its end. The era of politicians entering broke and leaving as millionaires is finished.

In my government, you can put your foot in your mouth, but you can’t put your hand in the till.

Martinelli is a businessman who has created Panama’s largest chain of supermarkets, Super 99, so he is generally viewed favorably by the business and foreign investment community.

“And for those who want to come and invest in Panama, I’m letting them know that our doors are open. I want to leave our mission very clear: we are going to make Panama the best place in Latin America to do business.”

There is no question we are living in tough economic times. Panama had been pretty much unscathed, but the impact is starting to be felt. The IMF which had predicted 7.8 percent economic growth in Panama has now lowered their forecast to 3 percent.

“The difficulties are not going to stop us. On the contrary: they are going to demonstrate our determination. We are going to rise above this economic storm. We are going to come out of it prepared to compete, prepared to win.

This is the moment to be a citizen of this country, because the opportunities that await us are enormous.

I see a Panama with more men and women working.

I see a middle class that’s growing and making more money.

I see new technologies producing an unprecedented economic growth.

I see a Panama with better health, better education and more families united and content.

We can do anything that we dream. Then, why not make our future the one we want?

We dream big. Our best days are to come. We are Panamanians, united for a change.

And united, nothing is impossible. United, nothing can defeat us!

I thank all of you, and God bless, and long live Panama.”

California Imprisoned by It’s Own Shortsightedness

I read an interesting piece by Damon Azali-Rojas entitled, “The Omnivorous Police/Prison State and the California “Budget Crisis” . . . in which he asserts “The Hottest Place In Hell Is Reserved for Those Who Build Prisons”. Hmmm.

There are few things that shock me anymore. But the manufacturing of this self-imposed Californian “budget crisis” has come pretty close.

Plain and simple, this current “crisis” is due to the militarization of US society at every level. Federally, the morally bankrupt “war on terror” occupies and imprisons sovereign countries. State-wide, billions of dollars are used to construct new prisons to hold more people, people who are being yanked back into prison from parole or for “breaking” hundreds of new laws that target the Black, Brown and poor. On the county and city levels, we are seeing 1000s of more cops and sheriffs to profile, raid and imprison folks. The omnivorous prison/police state has become Friday the 13th’s Jason Voorhees hacking away at the social welfare state and the remnants of the victories of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.

What Is the Common Link?

Police, prisons and military are the main growth industry (even Obama’s stimulus plan has 6 billion earmarked for prisons and police not counting the Department of Homeland Security piece of the pie); and
It is always the same sector of people that bear the brunt of these racially targeted policies. From the West Bank to West Oakland, East LA to East Timor, from South Lebanon to South LA-Black, Brown and poor.
In the US, 1 in every 100 people is in prison; 1 in every 45 is either in prison, on probation or on parole. Blacks are 12% of the US prison population but are more than 40% of the 2.3 million in US jails and prisons. Add that to Latinos and Black and Brown together make up 60% of the people in cages while only being 25% of the US population.

In 1984, California prisons captured 24,000 prisoners, today they hold 173,000; in 1984 the CA Department of Corrections budget was $300 million today it is $11 billion. Over 70% of those sent to Californian prisons and jails are there for technical parole violations in other words they were not convicted of a new “crime.” It has taken a hearty bi-partisan effort to achieve this impressive rate of growth.

The California state legislature is continuously passing more laws to be used to encage more people. Because of these legislators gone wild prisons are at 200% capacity. Because of overcrowding, the federal govt. is threatening to force CA to release prisoners but instead California passes AB900 to build more cages as the solution for an eviscerated social safety net.

So let’s look at how the police/prison growth industry has been affected by the economic downturn.

At a time when the California government can’t pay its bills or cut welfare checks to the neediest, a time when it is sending IOUs for tax returns, it is driving forward (guns a blazin’) with the largest prison construction project in the world: a project that would have the California prison system (projected at 225,000 prisoners) eclipse the entire federal prison population (199,618 as of Dec/07), in other words almost a 10-fold increase in California prisoners in 24 years.

We’re talking about AB 900 and its evil twin ABX1-10. Together, these bills represent the latest bipartisan attempt to incur more state debt in addition to the projected $42 billion deficit by the end of FY 09-10. Passed by the Democratic legislature almost a year and a half ago with the support of the Republican governor, they would lasso $12 billion for 53,000 new prison and jail beds. Of course, this is only for construction and not the additional $1.6 Billion a year to pay the guards time and a half overtime, the barbwire, the shackles and shotguns (aka-operations).

It’s not just California! The US leads the world in the percentage of it’s population locked away in prison! The US has a higher percentage of it’s popultion in prison than China, Iraq, Iran, Russia or any other “oppressive” regime that may come to mind! 1% of the US population is in prison – higher than any other country! Obviously this is good business for judges, court personnel, lawyers, prison builders and prison guards . . . but at what cost? 

$49 Billion a year to be exact!

And don’t you feel safer? No wonder going back to the US feels like going to a police state.

According to a recently released report by The Pew Center on The States,

“The United States imprisons more people than any country in the world,” the report said. Using updated state-by-state data, it said more than 2.3 million adults were held in U.S. prisons or jails at the start of 2008 — or one of every 99.1 adults out of a total population of some 230 million adults.

The numbers put the U.S. far ahead of more populous China, which it said has 1.5 million people behind bars, and Russia, which has 890,000 inmates. The Pew report cited January statistics from the “World Prison Brief” released by the International Center for Prison Studies at London’s King’s College.

It also said the U.S. — with 750 inmates per 100,000 people — “is the global leader in the rate at which it incarcerates its citizenry, outpacing nations like South Africa and Iran.”

South Africa has 341 per 100,000 citizens, Iran has 222 per 100,000, and China 119, according to the World Prison Brief.

Russia and other former Soviet republics had the highest incarceration rates within Europe. Russia has 628 inmates per 100,000 people, followed by Belarus’s 426 per 100,000, Georgia’s 401 per 100,000 and Ukraine’s 345 per 100,000, according to the World Prison Brief.

Within the U.S., the growing inmate population “is saddling cash-strapped states with soaring costs they can ill afford and failing to have a clear impact either on recidivism or overall crime,” the Pew report said.

The 50 states spent more than $49 billion on corrections last year, up from less than $11 billion 20 years earlier, the report said. The rate of increase for prison costs was six times greater than for higher education spending, it said . . .

The numbers were “especially startling” for some groups, the report said. “While one in 30 men between the ages of 20 and 34 is behind bars, for black males in that age group the figure is one in nine.”

The nationwide figures, as of Jan. 1, include 1,596,127 people in state and federal prisons and 723,131 in local jails — a total 2,319,258 out of almost 230 million U.S. adults.”

The undisputed leader is California, where spending totaled $8.8 billion last year. 

The report notes that,

“Even when adjusted for inflation, that represents a 216 percent increase over the amount California spent on corrections 20 years earlier. And last year, the governor signed a bill authorizing another $7.9 billion in spending, through lease revenue bonds, for 53,000 more prison and jail beds. Texas, with a slightly larger
number of inmates, ranks a distant second in spending, investing roughly $3.3 billion last year.

California vividly symbolizes the financial perils of the state prison business. On top of the perennial political tug-of-war, the state’s whopping corrections budget is shaped by a bevy of court settlements that make predicting and controlling spending tricky. Following successful lawsuits by prisoner plaintiffs, California now is subject to court oversight of inmate medical and dental care, mental health services, its juvenile offenders, and the treatment of disabled inmates. Even its parole revocation system is controlled by a legal settlement, and thereby subject to judicial orders that influence spending.”

The Pew Report

California is committed to wharehousing “state property” – prisoners who are sentenced to the California system – and doesn’t waste a penny on rehabilitation efforts. Most of these prisoners will eventually be released into your community and become your neighbors without any effort having been made to rehabilitate, educate or train them in an alternative way of life . . . doesn’t that make you feel even more secure?

Where did we as a nation go wrong?

Somewhere along the way we’ve lost our way and only a radical change of direction can get us back on the path that our founders envisoned.

Some Cruise Biz Observations

I am a kind of “free agent” who doesn’t “work” for any particular cruise line. I’ve lectured on Celebrity and Holland America, and worked on contract for Holland America, but I am not an employee of any cruise line. When I do work, I work on a contract basis for a particular length of time. Right now I have no commitments, other than to finish a bunch of projects underway on our farm in Palmira, just outside Boquete. In answer to the question, “Will you be on . . .?”, the answer is, I just don’t know. Right now a number of options are in the discussion and wait-and-see phase.

But while I am footloose and fancy free, without any specific cruise line commitment, I’d like to make a few observations.

Cruise lines aren’t original, about much of anything.

They follow one behind another almost like processionary caterpillars. If one cruise line does something that smacks of originality, then every other cruise line will do the same thing. Sometimes attempting to do something new comes off just as being wacky.

The executive shuffle  . .

which has been going on with cruise lines for years, is one of the reasons that there seems to be little imagination or innovation. If I may be so bold, it’s a little like crew sex on board . . . you never know who is going to be in whose bed. It’s a very incestuous business with cruise line executives bouncing around from company to company like . . . well, you get the idea.

Don’t count cruise lines out.

Yes, right now, given the world economic slump, there are some great buys on cruise vacations. There is no way that any other resort vacation can compete in terms of value for vacation dollar. The cruise market is there and definitely growing. And, despite the economy, bookings for high dollar cruises, like the world cruises, are exceeding everyones expectations for normal economic times, let alone the abnormal period we are passing through. So if you wanted to cruise on the cheap, you’d better hurry up and book now because it isn’t going to be this way for very long.

Social Marketing

The one cruise line that has really understood and jumped into the world of social marketing is Carnival. Just like taking a ride down one of their multi-story water slides, they jumped in feet first and took the ride. A lot of it started with a pleasingly plump Carnival cruise director named John Heald who started blogging about being a cruise director. John regularly pokes fun at the Carnival corporate culture, his bosses, and guests, with a sometimes scatological vocabulary that must make Carnival execs blush, but he has succeeded in pushing Carnival into the world of social marketing and the cruise line is reaping hudge rewards as a result. Last year they introduced a whole ad campaign featuring this unlikely corporate spokesperson [no Kathy Gifford, that's for sure!] and his sometimes wacky antics. A few others, including Holland America, are trying, but Carnival is far, far ahead of the pack.

Looking for something really different?

Holland America, with their new “Showroom At Sea” concept introduced in April on the VEENDAM, is a nice change from the usual and totally predictable big “cast shows” featuring high-schoolish singers, feather clad dancers with flashy sets, and music selected so as to pay as little royalty as possible. Realizing the Vegas-style show really doesn’t play well on a small ship stage, Holland introduced the club atmosphere of “Showroom At Sea” featuring a small ensemble of experienced singers with real Broadway and opera credits.

Carnival’s inimitable John Heald described another Carnival family product, the German-oriented AIDA, which has been truly innovative.   John has a fantastic review about AIDA entitled “Jetzt Ich Bin Ein Aida Fan” . . . It’s well-worth the read.  He concludes by saying . . .

“It seems that someone just gave the people at AIDA a blank piece of paper and said ” You know what, why don’t you think outside the normal parameters of cruising and create a truly unique design for Club style cruising “……………………and you know what, they did and my goodness, how it works.”

And that’s the kind of thinking the cruise industry desperately needs!

“You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.”

It’s called commoditization which means “transformation of goods and services (or things that may not normally be regarded as goods or services) into a commodity” and happens when an item like a luxury cruise becomes the equivalent of a ride on a bus or subway. Or put another way, something becomes an “undifferentiated good or service”. When something becomes just a commodity, you cease looking at the added value of the brand or product and purchase only based on price. Pretty much that’s what the cruise lines have managed to achieve. Ryan Wahlstrom is a business development manager for the MIAMI HERALD, is a close watcher of the cruise industry and a marketing consultant. Ryan writes a blog called Cruise Market Watchand he has some interesting observations about “Passion” vs. commodization.

Below are price ranges for three different contemporary cruise lines for August 2009 sailings, balcony cabin, all 7-day eastern Caribbean cruises:

Brand 1 = $739 – $1,309
Brand 2 = $999 – $1,149
Brand 3 = $1,463 – $2,309

Why is one line able to fill cabins at rates 50% to 100% higher than the others? Why are consumers willing to pay a steep premium even in tough economic times?

It is due to passion – consumer’s passion for the brand. Review the passion pyramid below. At its pinnacle is aspirational attainment – a brands ability to fulfill a market’s goals and dreams. Consumers who get here feel a kinship with the brand, they are where they belong and are willing to pay to get there. At the bottom is the mass market, where there is no pricing power because the vacation experience is a commodity competing on price.

Consider an example from the auto industry, where consumers pay more to purchase and maintain large SUV’s with four-wheel drives that are rarely if ever engaged. What is engaged is the fulfillment of the dream or idea that one could escape – a member of the group that can climb mountains and steer around avalanches – even if it is only on the way to the suburban grocery store.

A family vacation at its core is functional, but the choice of what vacation you take is “what does it say about me.” Consumers today consciously choose to associate with your brand. It is the label you use to display your kinship, like kachina dolls displayed in Native American Hopi family dwellings to designate membership in various clans. It is not just your vacation, it is telling others who you are.

And who is willing to pay a 100% premium for a contemporary cruise? Consumers who aspire to become members of the Disney clan. Disney’s power is derived from the fact they are not communicating in monologue, but engaging across multiple channels; cable networks, teenage pop stars, theme parks and 80-year-old characters that are cultural icons. Professor Ludwig Von Drake introduces me to cruising via podcast on my iPhone.

Most recently Disney Cruise Line is partnering with Kodak and Disney Channel to deliver themed cruises where cruisers will mingle with stars from Disney Channel shows like Hannah Montana, Sonny With A Chance, The Suite Life on Deck, JONAS, Camp Rock and High School Musical. All complete with autograph session and live performances.

“A dream come true for hundreds of kids this summer by offering kids the possibility to hang out with their favorite Disney Channel stars.”

Now that is something to aspire to. 

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Mail Call

Chuck asks about “Grit and Glory” . . .

Hi Richard…Just came across your Panama Canal website and was impressed with your knowledge of the area. I sent you an email via Facebook, but don’t know if your yahoo email is the same so am emailing you again to make sure you get my email. My wife and I retired from teaching last year and all that time, I have wanted to transit the canal. Looked into several cruises, but they are all too long. Then I inquired into an Elderhostel trip this coming January, Grit and Glory, Exposing the Panama Canal. It is a 5 day trip, transits the canal with several tours to experience the canal operations and a train ride too. Sounds too good to be true and was wondering if you have had any experience with Elderhostel or can give us any advice on this type of journey. Thanks for your input. Chuck Purcell in Sacramento, CA

Thanks Chuck. I like in theory the Elderhostel concept. We frequently had Elderhostel groups on ships where I’ve been lecturing. My impression of the Elderhostel groups I’ve seen are they seem to be well organized, but they do everything as a group, by themselves. They get only the information the Elderhostel leader provides, missing all the lectures and info given on the ship. So they seem to be in a world of their own as the shuffle on and off the ship, seemingly clueless to what is going on. Depending on your age, you may or may not fit. On the ship it is a very older group. Sometimes it seemed like we had a group from a senior citizen’s facility on board, not that there is anything wrong with a senior citizen’s facility, but understand it is a older, highly structured and directed group, often reminding me of a group of kindergardeners in the way they were “herded” and moved about. Maybe when I’m 97, but it wouldn’t be something I personally would find appealing at 67. Since you’ve “just retired” . . . I don’t know. If you can’t swing a cruise, why not just come to Panama, book a hotel, book the same ferry trip through the Canal that undoubtedly Elderhostel will have to use, and if you want to take the train (which is really no big deal), take it. For background read some of the books I suggest . . . do your own research, make it yours, and have a bit of an adventure. Hope that helps.

Coffee and Colon . . .

Richard: I read your coffee advise on Cruise Critic with great interest. I have acquired a taste for different coffees, especially Costa Rican. I especially enjoy the ones that come from the smaller farms to a central distributor. For the first time in April, I purchased coffee in Columbia and enjoyed it as well. We are coming to Panama (Colon) in November via cruise ship and would like to purchase some from there as well. I have two questions I hope you will have the time to answer.

1) We have been through the canal both east and west bound as well as several partials. This time the ship is all day in Colon and I would like to shop at the Free Zone. Do they let tourists in to shop and are you able to bring your purchases back to the cruise ship with you? Would it be safe to grab a cab at the cruise terminal to take us there and would we be able to catch a cab back? (I am not very fluent in Spanish.)

2) Are there grocery stores where we could buy the coffee safely (it must be decaf) and do you have a brand that you recommend (if your crops are not up for sale). (If they are I’d love to try them.)

Oops, I guess that is more than two questions. Thank you for your response and any advice you can give.
Kathryn Pringle, Sunny South Florida

They do allow cruise guests to shop in the Free Zone if you have a passport, proving you are not a local, and your ship ID card. However, the Free Zone is the second largest in the world, a hudge sprawling mini-city of places that cater primarily to the wholesale buyer, and not to tourists. So finding what you want, especially if you don’t speak Spanish, could be a challenge. Most things can be brought back onto the ship, but of course it depends on the regulations of your particular cruise line. Remember the Free Zone closes at 4PM.

Depending on which port you are at, you may, or may not find cabs. I’d use only the licensed yellow cabs, and I’d be cautious. Unfortunately Colon is not a safe city for tourists, unless you have a high degree of “street smarts.” At the RCCL dock and at Colon 2000 you can generally find or hail a cab. At Pier 6 Cristobal there generally are a few cabs, but the cruise lines all advise against going outside the pier areas on your own in Colon.

Our coffee is sold to a big coffee producer in Panama called Sitton. Some of their coffee is sold in grocery stores as Sitton, others is shipped off to Europe, Canada and, yes, Starbucks. So if you drink Starbucks maybe every billionth coffee bean is mine! Several stores in Colon have asked to sell my coffee, but as yet we haven’t made a decision. If we do, you will be the first to know! There are stores at the piers that sell various brands of Panamanian coffee. Ruiz, Sitton, Palo Alto, Duran are a few of the popular brands. If you are at Colon 2000 pier there is a big Super 99 grocery store that has all the popular coffee brands as well as Panamanian rum.

Paul & Marilyn wonder if Panama City has changed in 17 years . . .

Hello Richard, The family is doing a full transit aboard Coral Princess next March. Our itinerary includes a stay at Amador (Panama City). My wife and I were stationed at Howard AFB in 1992 & 1993. Anti-American sentiments were still running pretty high and you never stopped anywhere in the city that didn’t have armed guards in the parking lot. Whole areas of the city were off limits.

We have never missed an opportunity to get “get off the ship” to see the port cities where we stop but Panama City may be the first. I would hope conditions have improved over the past 17 years.
I’m not asking “What’s the best tour for …”. I am asking what’s new in town and is there a good reason why we should get off the ship.

Coral will also stop at Cartagena. Do you have any words of wisdom for touring this port city? Thanks,
Paul & Marilyn

Has anything changed? In a word, “Everything.” 1992 was just three years after the US invaded and blew up half the city! The US is gone. The Canal is Panamanian. Panama is on an economic roll. There are scores of huge skyscrapers that were unimaginable in 1992. It is a whole new world. Panama City is a city of over 2 million people, so like any city anywhere in the world there are a few places you may not wish to wander around at night. But definitely get off the ship, or as I say when on Holland America, “Get off the Dam ship!” and see some of Panama. Panamanians love most things US, and most people from the US. They even liked George W. Bush for crying out loud. Like anywhere else in the world, they don’t like “ugly Americans”, or more accurately loud, obnoxious, haughty folks from the US. But if you are polite and respectful of people and their history and culture . . . no problem.

If you are wondering about Howard, check this out!

Cartagena is a wonderful city to visit! There is a lot to see and do, so I’d suggest taking a ship’s tour that includes a walking tour through the wonderful old city!

Beautiful Boquete’s gardens . . .

Richard: I took at look at your blog early this morning and note that you’re knee-deep in gardening endeavors. I’m an avid gardener and have a new but developing-quite-nicely garden here in the Palo Alto area of Boquete. Steve Walker, who did the initial landscaping at Paradise Gardens, set me up with a stone wall, paths, an orchid casita, a pond and waterfall, some plants, etc., and I’ve taken it from there. I’ll be in the plant sharing mode soon.

I thought you might be interested to know that there’s a garden club here. I was afraid it might turn out to be the tea party kind of club common in the U.S., but I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that it’s a serious undertaking. It is led by a couple of Potrerillos residents who owned a nursery back in the States; at each meeting they give a talk on some aspect of growing plants and respond to questions from the members. There’s a great deal of exchange of information, as well as plant exchanges.

Meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at the homes of club members. This affords the opportunity to see what other folks here are growing and how well the plants perform in the various micro climates. There is no membership fee.

Bonnie Williams, Palo Alto, Boquete, Chiriqui

I haven’t had time to attend since we’ve had company, but I hopefully will have opportunity before I’m off on another cruise contract. If you need contact info for Bonnie and the garden club let me know.

“Retiring In Panama” wondered . . .

Hi Richard, I am looking around your blog as I said. But what about your timeline? Maybe I haven’t come across the posting yet where you moved to Panama. Where should I begin?

We live in the Chiriqui highlands – Chiriqui is a “state” – just above a town called Boquete in a little crossroads of a place called Palmira. I came to Panama in December of 2004. To find out where we are, check the Boquete page.

China Crap

When I was a kid “Made In Japan” equalled “inferior junk.” Now, many, many years later, “Made In Japan” has become, for the most part, a signature of quality.

Will China ever get there?

I doubt it.

We’re stuck with most hardware coming from China. Doesn’t make any difference where you buy it, or what the brand name is, likely it is made in China and very likely it is crap.

Take the cabinets we bought for our house. Burmese Cherry. Made in China. Crap. Cabinets came with no directions for installation, and it was definitely like a Chinese puzzle. Some drawer units were impossible to assemble, even for a “Little Person”, which, I think is the politically correct term for very small people. The hardware had a 25% failure rate to start with. We paid extra for magnetic drawer closers that would pull the drawers fully shut and keep them from slamming. They don’t work, and besides generally fall out of the asembly. About a third of the door fronts have either cracks or are separating at the joints. [Photos I provided to Marbol] The wine rack we ordered wasn’t made according to the very specific instructions and drawings we provided. And the cabinets with drawers we ordered for our closet, with matching counter tops (for which we paid!) we shipped with just scrap pieces of wood from cabinets with totally other finishes. This company could give a rip about our satisfaction and have now decided to go out of the cabinet business. They have disappeared along with their Web site which featured pictures of beautiful kitchens just lifted from US kitchen cabinet company Web sites. I guess Marbol is still hustling granite counter tops, but they’re out of the cabinet business, so I’m stuck and need to make the best of what I’ve got and repair the doors myself.  They are still beautiful cherry cabinets, and look great . . . but I didn’t pay to go through all this shit.

The problem is, no matter what store you buy from, and even if it’s an old US name that used to indicate quality, it’s made in China, and likely won’t work.  Westinghouse used to mean quality, now it generally means “Made In China.”  I end up replacing lamp light switches every couple of months, and no matter what store I go to, all the lamp light switches are Westinghouse. 

My latest is the Black & Decker hammer drill I bought a month ago and have only used about a dozen times.  My Dewalt drill was stolen by one of the people who worked on our house while I was away on a cruise.  [Second Dewalt drill I've had stolen in Panama.  The thieves know a good drill.]  So I went out to buy another.  I looked up the drill I wanted on HomeDepot.com so I’d have an idea what I wanted, what the product number was, and about what it would cost.  When I started looking I discovered two things.  One, there’s no competition in Panama.  Didn’t make any difference which store you went to, the price was more or less the same.  Second, gratuitously, every drill was $50 more than Home Depot.  OK, I guess that’s just the price you pay for living in Panama.  But I don’t use a drill frequently so I figured I could get by with the cheaper Black & Decker.   So I ended up paying $51.50 for a Black & Decker drill.  I have no idea what this sells for in the States, because it doesn’t.  You can’t find it on the Black & Decker Web site, and if you go to the Black & Decker Web site it doesn’t even recognize that the Republic of Panama exists.

All the drills the local hardware store had used keys.  It’s beyond me why Black & Decker would even make a drill that wasn’t keyless, but . . . maybe clueless , they do.  So you spent 90% of your project time looking for the dam key.  And they must know it, because they put a little thingy on the power cord to stick your key in, as if anyone would actually do that in the midst of switching drill bits back and forth.  If you’re going to insist on a key, why not at least figure a cord out to attach it to the drill?

Anyway, I use my Black & Decker HD450-B3 drill for the thirteenth time, to drill through concrete, which is what a hammer drill is for, and guess what . . . the drill bit holder thing-a-ma-jiggy breaks off.  Just like the cheap Made in China screws that break apart when you try and use them.  So I look to see where Black & Decker is made . . . you got it!  “Made in China.”  Another piece of Chinese crap . . . and I’m screwed again by China.

Oh yeah, the local hardware store I purchased it from . . . trying to keep the money in Boquete . . . went out of business July 1st. 

You just gotta enjoy being screwed if you’re going to make it as an expat.

Has anyone in China figured out that if you screw the whole world producing inferior, or contaminated products, that people won’t want stuff that’s made in China?

Well apparently a lot of people are getting pissed off at products made in China . . . and at the companies that sell Chinese made products.  According to LawyersandSettlements.com , obviously a somewhat biased source, I admit . . .

When it comes to purchasing products with the label “Made in China”, Caveat Emptor–let the buyer beware. Generally, consumers equate these three words with cheap and shoddy products. Now, “Made In China” also spells “Danger”.

The list of defective Chinese goods is long, from pet food containing melamine to toothpaste tainted with antifreeze, Five types of imported seafood were found to be laced with chemicals and, although no fatalities or illnesses have been reported in the U.S. yet, Chinese counterfeit glycerin found in cough syrup has been linked to more than 100 deaths in Panama.

In the wake of the US stepping up testing of Chinese products, the Chinese government reports that it closed 180 food plants and discovered 23,000 safety violations. Most disturbing is the amount of defective Chinese goods that have slipped through US investigators’ safety nets.

The Regulators
In 2003, leaders in China formed the State Food and Drug Administration but the agency was riddled with problems, from weak investigative procedures to corrupt officials. First director Zheng Xiaoyu was convicted of taking bribes from domestic pharmaceutical companies to approve untested medicine and was later executed.

The FDA in the United States also has its problems. Lack of funding and competition with 11 other federal regulatory agencies make it almost impossible to police our food supply.

Food
China has recently risen to be one of the world’s top agricultural exporters: in just four years, from 2002 to 2006, FDA-regulated foods imported from China more than doubled and experts predict the number to triple by the end of 2007.

Chinese foods are pervasive in most American kitchens; from additives such as xanthum gum (used as a thickener in dairy products, salad dressings and most frozen foods including ice cream) to preservatives such as ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). Most breakfast cereals are made in China.

Companies such as Kellog and General Mills are just now beginning to test additives such as wheat in their products. (Menu Foods pet recall found melamine in wheat gluten”a discovery that sounded the alarm bells to potential dangers in human food supply.) Recently, Veggie Booty was recalled after an outbreak of salmonella was traced back to the snack food. According to the US maker, salmonella was found in a spice imported from China that was used to season the snack food.

Toys
China produces 80 percent of the world’s toys, some of which contain lead paint. Soon after Target recalled about 200,000 Kool Toyz action figures because of sharp edges and lead contamination, Toys “R” Us discovered that the same Chinese company that manufactured those toys also made the Elite Operations figures in its stores. More recently, Mattel Inc., the world’s largest toymaker, recalled 1.5 million China-made Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer and other children’s products as they might contain “excessive levels” of lead. Eighty-one other types of Fisher-Price branded toys sold in US stores since May 2007 are included in the massive recall.

And lead paint isn’t restricted to toys: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled children’s jewelry from China that potentially could cause lead poisoning.

Tires
In June 2007, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration ordered a recall of 450,000 defective radial tires for pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans. A New Jersey importer notified officials that its Chinese manufacturer had stopped including gum strips, a safety feature that holds the tire together and prevents it from separating.

(Tread separation led to the recall of millions of Firestone tires in 2000; this particular tire failure was linked to an increased risk of rollover of light trucks and SUV’s.)

The faulty tires are believed to have caused a car accident in Pennsylvania in August of 2006 that killed two people. A lawsuit filed by the families alleges the accident happened because the tire lacked the gum strip. The lawsuit alleges the Chinese company removed the critical gum strip after the initial test tires were manufactured. Consumer advocates said this case exposes significant loopholes in the system that regulates products in the United States.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) has called for a full investigation into the importation of the defective tires.

The New Jersey tire importer sued the manufacturer of the tires, Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber, in a New Jersey court. The Hague Convention is a policy which allows foreign corporations to be sued in different countries. Tire manufacturer Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber has been served under the Hague convention.

Other Lawsuits
As well, a number of lawsuits have been filed against importers of Chinese products. Menu Foods, the Ontario pet food maker whose Chinese-sourced product contained melamine, faces more than 100 class action lawsuits. A proposed class action has been filed against the distributor of various Thomas & Friends� wooden railway toys.

As long as companies continue to import Chinese goods, it is inevitable that more class actions will be filed.

The Age of The Unthinkable

I’ve been reading a book by Joshua Cooper Ramo, THE AGE OF THE UNTHINKABLE: WHY THE NEW WORLD ORDER CONSTANTLY SURPRISES US AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. It’s one of those seminal books that simultaneously challenges and opens new windows of thinking. Ramo’s point is that the world we thought we knew no longer exists, so we’d better get with it and radically change our way of thinking. His main application is to US foreign policy, but his logic and conclusions are equally applicable to business and our personal lives. If I were President of Holland America Line, or any other company, I’d want all of my senior people to read THE AGE OF THE UNTHINKABLE and then start to think about the implications for how we do business.

Obama rode to the White House on a wave of change, change which Ramo points out is a hallmark of this generation.

“Change is at the center of all of their lives. They seek it out and, when change is proceeding too slowly, accelerate it. They operate with the self-regard and courage of people who believe that the tide of history is on their side, bringing us closer to whatever dream they find most exciting, whether it is fast universal connections to data or wholly new types of government.”

We are living, according to Ramo, “in an age in which the unthinkable [has] become, frankly, inevitable.”

In this post 9/11 world,

“We are entering, in short, a revolutionary age. And we are doing so with ideas, leaders, and institutions that are better suited for a world now several centuries behind us . . . Whether they are running corporations or foreign ministries or central banks, some of the best minds of our era are still in thrall to an older way of seeing and thinking. They are making repeated misjudgements about the world . . . They came of age as part of a tradition that all international crises had beginnings and, if managed well, ends. They share as background a view in which the spread of capitalism is good and inevitable, in which democracy and technology produce and increase in general stability . . . They lack the language, creativity, and revolutionary spirit our moment demands . . . The sum of their misconceptions has now produced a tragic paradox: policies designed to make us safer now instead make the world more perilous.”

It is a fascinating book with far reaching implications not only for how we govern and relate to other soverign nations, how we view our religious commitments, how we manage businesses, but also how we react in our personal lives to living in a world of change and seemingly disorder. It’s not only a good read, but a book to ponder.

Happy July 4th!

Although it’s not a holiday in Panama – Panama has TWO Independence Days (from Spain and from Columbia) in November – I’m going to take a blogging vacation today! Have a hot dog and beer for me, whilst I am having a brat and beer in Panama. [Berard makes brats that are every bit as good as Usinger's!]

And for all of you who think the US is going to hell . . .

The Dream Team for 2012 is taking shape!   Sarah Palin has chosen the eve of July 4th to announce that she is retiring early as Governor of Alaska.  We can’t be sure if her plans are to go on a shopping spree, run for President, or impersonate Tina Fey on “Saturday Night Live!” . . .one can’t be certain . . . or maybe just to travel a bit to enhance her foreign policy experience (”You can see Russia from Alaska!”)   At any rate the Dream Team is starting to take shape . . .

VANITY FAIR did what her aides called a “hatchet job” on the future President, shown here with Cindy McCain, called, “It Came From Wasilla”

Then of course there is the “other candidate” . . . it’s unclear at this moment if the ticket would be Palin/Limbaugh, or Limbaugh/Palin.  You think Obama vs. Hillary was good . . . just wait ’til you see this!

Cheers!

Veggie Prices

Someone named “Gardenlady”, but annonymous, posted the following list of Boquete vegetable prices on Boquete.org and I thought many of you might find the information interesting.

The first price is at a local fruit/vegetable store across from Mandrian, and the second price is at Romero’s, a local supermarket.

Potatoes .50 per lb – .83 per lb
tomatoes .50 per lb – .79 per lb
egg plant .70 per lb – .67 per lb
carrots .50 per lb – .75 per lb
celery .60 per lb – .65 per lb
onions .50 per lb – .65 per lb
red peppers .90 per lb – 1.15 per lb
green peppers .80 per lb – 1.05 per lb
Broccoli .70 per lb – .89 per lb
cabbage .40 per lb – .65 per lb
cucumbers .25 per lb – .53 per lb

We usually buy vegetables direct from the farmers at the Mercado, across the street from Romero’s.

Getting Down to Business

Yesterday was a holiday in Panama: Inauguration Day for newly elected Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli. This was an “added” holiday, in addition to the 21 other paid holidays enjoyed by Panamanian workers (in addition to paid six days, a manditory yearly paid vacation of 30 days, and a “13th month” bonus pay paid by law whether the worker has achieved set goals or not). So, hopefully, Martinelli will run Panama in a more businesslike way.

US-educated Martinelli has built his chain of Super 99 food markets into the largest food store chain in Panama, putting a reputed $55 million dollars a year into Martinelli’s pocket. Local Panamanians expressed the hope that since Martinelli was already rich, he wouldn’t loot the national treasury . . . “as much”, as locals put it.

Riding into power on a campaing of “Change”, reminiscent of Obama’s march to the White House, Martinelli promised,

“We are going to take our private sector experience and put the government to work as you have never seen before,” Martinelli said at the ceremony. He said he would modernize public administration by reducing state bureaucracy

“In the business world, I walked the corridors, asked questions, opened drawers. I learned to face up to problems,” he said. “The time of fat government and skinny people has come to an end with my coming to power,” he said.

“In my government you can put your foot in it, but you can’t put your hands in the till,” he said, saying that his government would put the interests of the people first and be more agile, transparent and efficient.

Martinelli’s victory was made possible by an alliance between two of Panama’s smaller political parties, enabling defeat of the PRD, the dominant party. Martinelli’s Vice President is Juan Carlos Varela, whose family has the largest distillery in Panama. Another business leader.

According to the LATIN AMERICAN HERALD TRIBUNE,

Businessman Ricardo Martinelli sang the praises of a “free economy” and free-trade pacts on Wednesday in his first speech as Panama’s president.

Martinelli, 57, who will govern Panama for the next five years, said that the country’s doors are “open” for investment and that he will put his experience in the private sector to use in governing the nation.

He also said he was ready to move forward on trade accords with the United States and “other countries of the world” and to transform Panama into “the best place in Latin America to do business.”

Martinelli also confirmed that his administration will join the fight against “narco-terrorists,” whose effects are already being felt in his country.

In addition, he said he will fulfill his campaign promises as an integral part of a plan to get the Panamanian economy afloat, adding that “now is when the government has to be more agile, more transparent and more efficient because difficult times are coming.”

He said that his administration will begin by pushing “the biggest jobs program in Panama’s history.”

Martinelli worked as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Panama Canal Authority and Minister of Canal Affairs from 1999 to 2003, and was responsible for developing much of the Panama Canal Expansion program. has promised in addition to completing the Canal’s “third lane”, to build a subway system for Panama City, and to create up to five new international airports in the country.

Martinelli graduated from the University of Arkansas with a business major, and has an MBA, specializing in finance, from INCAE, Costa Rica, the largest business school in Latin America.

It’s been a while . . .

It’s been a while since I dipped into the mailbag . . .

Accessibility in Latin America . . .

Hello, I saw your posting on cruise critic. Do you know of anyone who does bus/van tours and might have an accessible bus/van? We’ll be on the Equinox inn march stopping at Colon. Know of any websites for tourist information? Thank you, Dan Egan

Hi Dan! Unfortunately I don’t, but perhaps through the hotel they can hook you up. There are lots of Panama tourist/tour information sites, just Google. However accessibility as we know it in North America and Europe is pretty much unknown in Latin America. And the ships it is always a struggle when guests who are confined, as opposed to occassional users, of wheel chairs or scooters go ashore. If a tour operator does have a bus for wheelchairs, it will probably only take one or two. It is a problem . . . wish I had better news. Regards, Richard

Brandon Hein remains in prison . . .

For a crime nobody says he committed . . . now in prison for 5151 days . . . Through all these years the legal system has tortuously ground along . . . and Brandon’s now been waiting  over 13 months as the United States Court of Appeals 9th District considers his appeal.

Friends of Brandon Hein joined people concerned for justice across the nation on June 27 to march  across the US with signs containing statistics and the names of those who have been wrongfully convicted.  In Los Angeles they marched to the Governor’s LA office. 

Tony Orta had a great comment about people adjusting to life in a different country . . .

written in response to my post about “Why People Leave Boquete” . . .

Very interesting and informative post. You are right that there are a myriad of ways for people to become disenchanted with a new place, mainly due to the gap between expectations, dreams and reality. There is no substitute for homework. I notice many people in several of these blogs who one day announce they are going to Panama, and yet, they have hardly visited there, and then only as a tourist, and not a prospective resident. Some things are immutable, such as culture, language, rhythm of life, weather etc..
Adaptation, patience and courage to face new challenges is required, even when moving to “paradise”.
Tony

Sally G wanted to know if I will be on the ZUIDERDAM this fall . . .

Truth is, Sally, I have no idea! I’m enjoying being home in Boquete and have lots of projects to do. Cruise lines don’t plan everything, particularly entertainment, as far in advance as you might imagine. So it’s wait and see whether Holland or someone else, ZUIDERDAM or another Dam ship, or just stay at home and enjoy life on the farm. It’s nice not having to work.

Chuck H was the only one who gave me feedback on US meat prices . . .

writing in response to my comments about buying meet at Berard, the meat packers, in Volcan . . .

Hi Richard, I have not lived in the Ventura area for about 35 years, but thought I would provide some comparitive prices from Redmond, WA. These are from the local Safeway
Beef Fillet $16.99 lb.
Pork Chops (Not so gorgeous) $2.69 lb.
Brats (Tough to compare. National Brand $4.49 lb. Local brand, much better quality $7.25 lb.
Bacon $4.99 lb.
That’s all I had time to check today.  I don’t suppose Berard makes Linguisa or Chorizo? Chuck

Thanks, Chuck! And yes, they have great Chorizo!  Here were our prices for stuff in Volcan . . .

Filete $5.50 a pound, and they are happy to slice it up however you wish.
Gorgeous pork chops, cut however thick you desire $2.10 a pound.
Brats $2.70 a pound.
Bacon $2.70 a pound.
Our friends the Valentines from Ventura are here. Julie and Nikki went shopping and Julie confirmed what we suspected, name brand stuff imported from the US costs about the same here as it does in the US. But, as you can see from the above, the key is to buy local and think Panamanian. Local, average Panamanians look at us paying $4 for a bag of junk food and think . . . They can go to Central Park and buy a nice typical Panamanian lunch of roasted chicken, rice and beans and salad, all prepared for two people and pay $4.

What’s medical care like in Panama?

Several of you have asked about this, and it is the number one question I’m asked on the ship when I talk about Panama and living here.  So, I promise, I’ll do a few posts on this topic in the near future.